He stared at her for a long time before leaning over to pull open one of the drawers attached to his desk. He withdrew a white polythene bag; he had bought the iPhone A1 yesterday to give to their laundryman who had complained that his phone had fallen into water... Slowly, he handed it to her and said, "Here. Once you charge it, send me a message with your number. Meanwhile, I will give them your email. As soon as the number is ready, send it to me so I can forward it to them, and you can start work ASAP." He said this as he extended the phone toward her. Then he added, "Take it, please. Consider it as an allowance." Slowly, as if she had no strength in her body, she reached out her hand and took it, saying, "Thank you, very much." Truth be told, she hadn't the faintest idea where she was going to start looking for a phone when they were struggling just to feed themselves. Seeing that he remained silent and simply leaned back, staring at her, she softly said once more, "Thank you." From there, she bade him farewell, stood up, and headed for the door, praying in her heart that he wouldn't stop her again. In that manner, she finally stepped out of the office. As soon as she walked out, he closed his handsome eyes and rested his head against the back of his chair. Softly, aloud, he said: "It’s official, I’m in love." (It is certain, I am in love with this girl.) Once she was completely out of the office and made sure the door was clicked shut, she flared her nostrils, inhaled deeply, and let out a heavy sigh of relief... With great difficulty, she dragged her feet over to where Ya Musbah was standing, having already risen to his feet the moment he spotted her coming out. She looked at him, feeling a deep wave of love and pity for her brother coursing through her... She had no choice but to resign herself to working with Yashjub, if only for the sake of her siblings... so she could get capital for Ya Musbah and take care of her family. Even though she had no idea how she was going to manage living with this man who was trying to tear her heart apart, she had to stand strong and help her family under any circumstances. She would stand firm, In sha Allah, fight her own thoughts, and help herself by forcing her heart and mind to stop admiring Yashjub's handsomeness, charisma, bravery, and composure... In sha Allah, from today onward, everything good about him, she would actively try to make look bad in her eyes and mind... Opportunity comes once! That was why she wasn't going to let this chance slip away. In sha Allah, she would push herself, endure, fight her own heart, and manage to help her family...* With these thoughts, she reached the spot where Ya Musbah was standing. Borrowing courage, she cloaked her physical body, forced a smile, and said, "I got the job. He even gave me a phone allowance! The job is mostly remote..." She then gave him a brief summary of how things went with Yashjub. With extreme joy, Ya Musbah said, "Congratulations, Manu. See luck for you! The lecturer you hated turned out to be your benefactor today. I am genuinely happy for you... Look, the job isn't stressful at all, and I trust this company—the way it is, I know it's reputable and follows strict regulations. You won't be cheated there. Let's go." Saying this, he walked ahead. Softly, Manubiya said, "Okay," and followed him as they set off... She was terrified of being around Yashjub, but it had become an absolute necessity to help her family. She reaffirmed this in her heart. Slowly, she let out another heavy sigh... Indeed, what Abbakar said the other day was true when he told her that Yashjub was her crush... She thought this to herself, but quickly chased the thought away. In her mind, she scolded herself: "Manubiya, wake up! This man is not your mate. Look at him—he's barely pushing thirty, yet he owns his own estates... Your life problems alone are enough for you; don't go throwing yourself into destruction..."
BULAMA ✍️
0903 441 3252
MANUBIYA
26
Ever since the day before yesterday, Munirat hadn't come out. Since she had finished her exams and had nothing to do or anywhere to go, she hadn't even poked her head out. She hadn't even come down to eat regular food, and even when Ummi brought some to her, she couldn't stomach anything heavy. She would just pick at snacks from Ummi's fridge or wait until late at night to come down and cook Indomie. Very early in the morning, Yahanasu had gone out because she had clients, being an independent lawyer. Even when she finished her business, she didn't come straight home; she went directly to her friend's place. Ya'isha also wanted to run some errands, so she went out with Kausar to drop her off for her pending project work, while Yasmin had a surgery and had left as early as 6:00 AM. Yusra and Yadira both had morning exams—Yadira, a 100-level student, actually had two, morning and evening... Yassira had also left for work bright and early! Consequently, the house was left with only Mommy, Ummi, Baaba Larai, Yassir, and Munirat. It wasn't until around 2:00 PM that Munirat forced herself out to go help Ummi in the kitchen because it was Ummi's turn to cook, and she wanted to impress Daddy so they could mend fences and get along well again. It was close to 4:00 PM when they finally finished. Since Munirat was currently observing her period, Ummi told her to stay back, transfer the food into flasks, and take them to Daddy's wing, while Ummi went upstairs to pray and bathe. Calmly, she was dishing the food into coolers while chatting with Gwaggo, the domestic help (since Husaina and Asabe, the younger maids, had gone for Islamic classes). She felt as though someone was watching her, so she turned her head slightly... Quickly, she averted her eyes and turned back with a slightly annoyed expression. Because she was wearing a pencil top and trousers paired with a tiny cap, and the trousers hugged her figure tightly, she hadn't expected him to be right there. She had thought he was in Yashjub's wing, and she knew Ummi would never have allowed her to sit around dressed like that. Nothing irritated her more than the way he was fixing his large, bright eyes on her, staring intensely... "Good afternoon, young man." Gwaggo's voice cut through Yassir and Munirat's thoughts... Slowly, he walked into the kitchen, saying, "Good afternoon," while his eyes roamed over Munirat, who didn't even look his way. Noticing that she had no intention of greeting him, he greeted her directly instead: "Anty Munirat, good afternoon." Surprised, she raised her large eyes and looked at him briefly, not expecting that he knew her name. Then, lowering her gaze, she softly muttered, "Good afternoon." He just smiled, turned to Gwaggo, and said, "Yesterday's room setup wasn't done right. You know I don't like white bedsheets; take them off, put up different ones, and redo the room properly." As soon as he finished speaking, Gwaggo quickly replied, "Right away, young man." She said this as she hurried out of the kitchen, heading upstairs to his room near Mommy's. In her heart, however, she had already resolved to give Munirat a warning about Yassir's behavior, because she wasn't going to let Yassir prey on an orphan girl. She had clearly noticed the way he was looking at her! Aside from the harassment Munirat had suffered from his siblings the other day, it looked like he wanted to add his own brand of mistreatment. The moment Gwaggo left, Munirat also stood up to leave. Quickly, Yassir blocked her path and said, "We haven't met properly until now. My name is Yassir, the 3rd born of this family. I'm an architect and the C.E.O. of Yassir Limited." He said this while extending his hand for a handshake, flashing a slight smile. Without looking at his hand, she said, "Nice to meet you," and tried to walk past him. Quickly, he stepped in front of her again and said, "Um... I actually wanted to apologize for what Ya'isha and the others did to you the other day..." Cutting him off, she said, "Please, Ya Yassir, drop it. We girls will resolve it among ourselves." He smiled, giving her a strange, intense look before saying straight to her face, "You don't like me, Y? But why? Don't worry, tell me, I won't get angry." Impatiently, she retorted, "I'm tired, and I have things on my mind, yet you're standing here talking. I don't like too much talking." Softly, he replied, "Sorry, dear! I understand, and I'm not upset." He said this as he stepped aside, gesturing to the pathway with his hand, bowing his head slightly with a peculiar smile. She hurried past him, glancing back over her shoulder as if someone had told her he would chase after her and grab her. Hiding in the corridor upstairs, she waited until she saw him heading up with the juice and cake he had presumably come to fetch. Only then did she emerge, return to the kitchen, finish packing the food, and take Daddy's portion over. The rest she arranged on the big dining table, and then she finally dished her own food and ate right there in the kitchen. Hunger was gnawing at her fiercely since she hadn't eaten a heavy meal since the day before yesterday... Gwaggo had already finished washing the dishes, so once Munirat finished eating, she washed the plate she had used. While she was busy washing, Ya'isha and Kausar walked in chatting... They didn't even look her way, continuing their conversation as though no one was in the kitchen. Talking and laughing, Kausar took a slice of pizza from the fridge, popped it in the microwave, grabbed cake and drinks, and headed for the mini-dining area inside the kitchen to sit down. They ought to have checked on Munirat given what had happened between them, especially since she was a guest and they had found her right there in the kitchen... but they didn't even glance at her. To avoid drama, Munirat initially turned to leave, but then she stopped, walked over to where they were, and said: "Um... Ya'isha, welcome back. I actually wanted us to talk since yesterday, but I didn't get the chance until now... It's about what happened. Please, let's forgive each other, understand one another, and let bygones be bygones." Right at that moment, Kausar stood up as the microwave beeped, while Ya'isha picked up her phone and started tapping away. "Ya'isha," Munirat called her name again, trying hard to keep her temper in check. Without looking up or even glancing at her, Ya'isha said, "Look, I'm on the phone with my boyfriend, so please leave... because I'm sure the perfume or the bath you took the day before yesterday hasn't even worn off your body yet!! Najeeb is a very handsome and nice guy, and I love him, so I'm not ready to give him up to you..." Ya'isha said this while continuously pressing her phone, completely ignoring Munirat as if she wasn't even talking to her. Just then, Kausar returned with the pizza, placed it before them, and they began to eat. Munirat was about to say something else, but she simply turned around and walked out, her heart boiling with rage. As soon as she left, Kausar looked at Ya'isha and said, "I know I'm your cousin, but the way we grew up, I'm practically a sister to Yash and Yassir—unlike Munirat. So we need to speak to Ummi and tell her to stop letting her big-girl daughter roam around the house like a stray, because it almost looks like she's hawking her daughter." Kausar finished in deep annoyance, praying silently that Yashjub hadn't walked in by mistake and seen Munirat looking like that. Ya'isha smiled, taking Kausar's hand, and said, "Kausar, stop saying you're our cousin, because you are more than a sister to all of us. We love you more than you can imagine." Squeezing her hand tighter, she added, "Let me give you an example: if someone else had broken Yassir's heart, what do you think we would have done? Outright, you said you didn't want Yassir, and on top of that, you said you loved Yashjub, yet we backed you one hundred percent without getting mad at you or questioning you. So please stop calling yourself our cousin. Accept that you are part of this family, and we love you always and forever (you are a daughter in this household just like the rest of us). "As for that piece of work, leave her to me. I'll deal with her soon. As long as I have breath in my lungs, she'll walk out of this house on her own two feet, I swear... Earlier today, Yasira sent a message to our group about the story their mother told. Did you see it?" Kausar sneered and said, "Yeah, I saw it! But that won't change anything. She has to leave this house because she has no birthright here." "Her and her mother both!" Ya'isha finished with a laugh. They both laughed before resuming their meal and chatting away. No matter how hard Munirat tried to hold back her tears, she couldn't. As soon as she walked out, tears began to stream down her face. It hurt deeply... And Ummi had explicitly told her not to talk back to them, insisting she always seek peace. Walking away in tears, she made it back to Ummi's room... Ummi wasn't there, which was actually what she wanted. She dragged out her suitcase from her section of the annex, packed all her belongings, called her sister, and told her, "I'm coming over to spend a couple of days..." Her sister was thrilled, and after wrapping up the call, Munirat sat and waited for Ummi so she could bid her farewell and leave. But when Ummi returned, she flat-out refused to hear of it! Munirat begged her every which way, but Ummi wouldn't let her go. Eventually, Ummi scolded her severely, and despite her heavy heart, Munirat had no choice but to give up. As usual, after Isha prayers, it took a lot of convincing from Ummi before Munirat finally agreed to follow her downstairs for dinner. They knew Daddy and his group had a meeting that night, so Daddy, Yassira, and Yashjub were not at dinner. At the dining table, they found everyone else, including Yahanasu. Ummi pulled out a chair next to Mommy, sat down with a smile on her face, and said, "Good evening, Mommy." With a neutral expression and a faint smile, Mommy replied, "Evening, Ummi. How is home?" "Alhamdulillah," Ummi answered. From there, Munirat greeted Mommy, Baaba Larai, and Yahanasu before pulling out a chair and sitting down... Only after sitting down did she realize she was sitting directly opposite Yassir. She wanted to move, but wherever she relocated to, she would end up right in the middle of Kausar and the others since they were seated separately. So, she simply resigned herself to staying put. Respectfully, Yahanasu greeted Ummi, who warmly acknowledged her. As Munirat reached out to dish some food, her eyes locked with Yassir's. Slowly, his lips moved in a silent "Hi." She immediately averted her gaze and went back to dishing food alongside Ummi. He smiled, turned to Ummi, and asked, "Ummi, how are you?" Quickly, Ya'isha and Baaba Larai stared at him in utter shock, then turned away, bewildered. Pleasantly surprised, Ummi smiled and said, "Alhamdulillah, I'm fine, Yassir." Yasmeen let out a muffled, suppressed laugh—the kind where someone tries hard to choke back amusement while making sure Ummi hears it. Ummi definitely heard it! But she chose to ignore her, and everyone continued eating in silence. Yassir was the first to stand up, bidding them good night while stealing glances at Munirat. She didn't even notice, but Ya'isha and Yadira caught it. As Yadira made to stand up, Ummi said, "Yadira, sit down for a minute, I want to talk to all of you." Reluctantly, Yadira sat back down without looking at her, wearing a sullen, blank expression. Kausar hadn't even eaten half her food and initially had no intention of staying, but hearing Ummi say she wanted to speak to them, she just stood up and walked upstairs. Ummi paused, looking as though she might just tell everyone to disperse, but then she let out a breath and began: "Ya'isha, when you go upstairs, tell Kausar and Yassira what I'm about to say..." Step by step, Ummi recounted the whole story about the Senator and Munirat just as she had told Daddy earlier, before concluding: "Munirat is never going to marry him. Because if I wanted her to marry him, they would have been wed the moment he returned—let alone now when he is engaged to Yahanasu." Soothingly, Ummi pleaded, "Please, let everything go. Let bygones be bygones." "Ummi, everything is already past. What more do you need from us?" Yusra asked, fixing her with a steady stare. Unhappily, Ummi replied, "Yusra, what I want is kinship and peace between you all. When your daddy married me, he promised to treat Munirat like his own biological daughter and that she would be happy among you... Staying in this house will never be peaceful for her if you keep treating her like this. Just earlier, I caught her packing her bags to leave the house! You see that isn't right, please live in peace. We are all under one roof... How long is this world anyway? It's just a temporary stay. Besides, I'm sure in five years, even Yadira might not be in this house anymore... Ya'isha, when you go upstairs, explain this to Kausar and Yasira since they're not here..." Clang! Ya'isha slammed the juice glass in her hand onto the table so hard it cut Ummi off mid-sentence! Thank God the glass was unbreakable; otherwise, it would have shattered from the force of her blow. In a blind rage, she stood up, glared at Munirat—who had raised her head to look back at her—and shouted, with fury choking her voice: "For God's sake, whatever way you packed your bags, don't unpack them! Pack them fully and get out today! I don't want to set my eyes on you here ever again." Turning to Ummi, she snarled: "Ummi, do you know what your problem is? Selfishness! Selfishness is your problem... Look at the way you're pushing us around, forcing us to love your daughter!! Forcing us to live in peace with her—is love ever by force?! Besides, she brought all this upon herself from day one. When she first came to this house, nobody mistreated her. Despite the fact that she's not even in our social class, we still pulled her close just to maintain peace, but she didn't appreciate any of it. Instead, she came and pulled nonsense stunts! Just because some guy was supposedly her initial suitor or husband doesn't wipe away her misbehavior, especially since he's now set to marry Yahanasu. But she didn't care about that—out of pure disrespect, she went along with him... Although Yahanasu says she has no business with her case, the way you blindly support your daughter and forcefully try to scrub away her wrongs is my main issue with you! "And let me tell you this: I will never be friends with her. There will never be peace between us, because I've realized you don't know respect, tolerance, or decency. You only care about yourself—you are more than selfish! So there will never be peace between me and you or your daughter, ever, I swear! People like you don't deserve peace, because if you give you guys an inch, next time you'll do something even worse. That's why we have to put a stop to you right now and show you your place in this house. You are nobody; you are just taking up space here..." Furious, Ummi jumped to her feet and shouted, "Ya'isha!!" Equally loud, Ya'isha yelled back, overriding Ummi's voice: "Don't you dare raise your voice at me! I'm speaking the truth, and I have to say it. When we first met, we didn't know you and you didn't know us, but we've lived our lives. On what grounds are you forcing us now to look after your daughter? And as a final warning to me: don't ever gather me and my sisters again to lecture us or feed us some useless story we already heard this morning! And one more thing... if you want to talk to Yasira or Kausar, you know the way to their rooms. Don't ever send me on errands again, because I am not your maid..." Having said that, she stormed off, sweeping past them furiously as if she could fly. Following right behind her, Yusra stood up and left, followed by Yadira. Slowly, Yasmeen stood up and said, "Mommy, good night. We have another surgery early tomorrow morning... Baaba Larai, please make me that yam porridge like the one from yesterday." She said this with a pout. Baaba Larai smiled and replied, "In sha Allah, my dear, success to you. Good night." "Thank you, our dear Baaba Larai," Yasmeen said with a smile before walking away without even glancing at Ummi, who stood frozen in place. Softly, Yahanasu closed her eyes, thinking to herself: If only Bashir hadn't entered her life... Even though he wasn't going to marry Munirat anymore, he had become the catalyst tearing apart Daddy and Ummi's marriage—a marriage she was praying would hold together forever. Sobbing, Munirat jumped up and ran from the area in tears... This was...
Summary
In this chapter, Manubiya (Munirat) goes to Yashjub's office to collect the replacement phone he promised, discovering it is brand new with a phone allowance included. Overwhelmed by gratitude yet terrified of her growing feelings for a man she views as both her "crush" and a potential hazard, she vows to steel her heart, suppress her admiration, and focus solely on securing a livelihood to help her struggling family. She shares the good news with her brother, Ya Musbah, who is thrilled and reassured by the legitimacy of Yashjub's company. Meanwhile, back at the family mansion, tensions rise. While other siblings are away, Munirat is cornered by Yassir in the kitchen, who tries to apologize for his siblings' past behavior and attempts to flirt, making her deeply uncomfortable. Later, an expanded family dinner brings everyone together, where Ummi attempts a peace-making intervention. She urges the children to let bygones be bygones and accept Munirat, revealing her history. This provokes a fierce, explosive backlash from Ya'isha, who verbally attacks both Ummi and Munirat, accusing Ummi of supreme selfishness and favoritism. Ya'isha declares permanent hostility, cutting off Ummi disrespectfully and storming out, followed by the other stepsiblings. Left humiliated and frozen, Ummi's peace-making effort collapses entirely, driving a weeping Munirat to flee in distress.
Description
This chapter captures the intense emotional friction, class dynamics, and domestic friction central to contemporary Hausa family drama.
Internal Conflict: Manubiya struggles intensely between her forced proximity to Yashjub (whom she admires despite herself) and her absolute dedication to uplifting her family.
Toxic Family Dynamics: The chapter exposes the deep-seated resentment harbored by Daddy's biological children toward Ummi and Munirat. Ya'isha's explosive outburst highlights a complete breakdown of respect, generational boundaries, and domestic harmony.
Psychological Realism: The narrative brilliantly contrasts tender, vulnerable moments (Manubiya's quiet relief over the phone, Yassir's calculated charm) with raw, venomous confrontation, painting a vivid picture of a household sitting on a powder keg.
Analytics Table
Category
Key Details & Elements
Plot Summary
Manubiya receives a brand-new phone and allowance from Yashjub, steeling herself to work for him to support her family while suppressing her complex feelings. At home, Yassir attempts to charm her in the kitchen. Later, Ummi’s clumsy attempt to broker peace at dinner triggers an explosive, disrespectful tirade from Ya'isha, who attacks Ummi's character and rejects Munirat entirely, leaving Ummi humiliated and Munirat in tears.
Primary Conflict
The psychological tension between Manubiya and Yashjub versus her financial necessity; and the fierce domestic warfare between Ummi/Munirat and Daddy’s entitled biological children (led by Ya'isha and Yassir).
Core Themes
Sacrifice for family, emotional suppression, generational disrespect, entitlement, the toxicity of unchecked wealth, and the failure of forced domestic reconciliation.
Key Settings
1. Yashjub’s Office (site of professional transition and romantic tension).
The Family Mansion Kitchen (site of Yassir's intrusive flirting).
The Main Dining Area (site of the explosive family confrontation). | | Character Dynamics | • Manubiya: Resilient, self-aware, and desperate to protect her family. • Yashjub: Generous, subtly romantic, and persistent. • Yassir: Smooth-talking, boundary-pushing, and opportunistic. • Ya'isha: Defiant, disrespectful, venomous, and fiercely self-absorbed. • Ummi: Well-meaning but politically clumsy, caught between protecting her daughter and keeping a fractured peace. | | Narrative Style | Contemporary emotional Hausa romance/drama featuring rich psychological introspection, vivid dialogue, shifting multi-character perspectives, and high-stakes domestic drama. |
He stared at her for a long time before leaning over to pull open one of the drawers attached to his desk. He withdrew a white polythene bag; he had bought the iPhone A1 yesterday to give to their laundryman who had complained that his phone had fallen into water...
Slowly, he handed it to her and said, "Here. Once you charge it, send me a message with your number. Meanwhile, I will give them your email. As soon as the number is ready, send it to me so I can forward it to them, and you can start work ASAP."
He said this as he extended the phone toward her.
Then he added, "Take it, please. Consider it as an allowance."
Slowly, as if she had no strength in her body, she reached out her hand and took it, saying, "Thank you, very much."
Truth be told, she hadn't the faintest idea where she was going to start looking for a phone when they were struggling just to feed themselves.
Seeing that he remained silent and simply leaned back, staring at her, she softly said once more, "Thank you."
From there, she bade him farewell, stood up, and headed for the door, praying in her heart that he wouldn't stop her again. In that manner, she finally stepped out of the office.
As soon as she walked out, he closed his handsome eyes and rested his head against the back of his chair.
Softly, aloud, he said:
"It’s official, I’m in love."
(It is certain, I am in love with this girl.)
Once she was completely out of the office and made sure the door was clicked shut, she flared her nostrils, inhaled deeply, and let out a heavy sigh of relief...
With great difficulty, she dragged her feet over to where Ya Musbah was standing, having already risen to his feet the moment he spotted her coming out.
She looked at him, feeling a deep wave of love and pity for her brother coursing through her...
She had no choice but to resign herself to working with Yashjub, if only for the sake of her siblings... so she could get capital for Ya Musbah and take care of her family. Even though she had no idea how she was going to manage living with this man who was trying to tear her heart apart, she had to stand strong and help her family under any circumstances. She would stand firm, In sha Allah, fight her own thoughts, and help herself by forcing her heart and mind to stop admiring Yashjub's handsomeness, charisma, bravery, and composure...
In sha Allah, from today onward, everything good about him, she would actively try to make look bad in her eyes and mind...
Opportunity comes once! That was why she wasn't going to let this chance slip away. In sha Allah, she would push herself, endure, fight her own heart, and manage to help her family...*
With these thoughts, she reached the spot where Ya Musbah was standing.
Borrowing courage, she cloaked her physical body, forced a smile, and said, "I got the job. He even gave me a phone allowance! The job is mostly remote..."
She then gave him a brief summary of how things went with Yashjub.
With extreme joy, Ya Musbah said, "Congratulations, Manu.
See luck for you! The lecturer you hated turned out to be your benefactor today. I am genuinely happy for you...
Look, the job isn't stressful at all, and I trust this company—the way it is, I know it's reputable and follows strict regulations. You won't be cheated there. Let's go."
Saying this, he walked ahead.
Softly, Manubiya said, "Okay," and followed him as they set off...
She was terrified of being around Yashjub, but it had become an absolute necessity to help her family.
She reaffirmed this in her heart.
Slowly, she let out another heavy sigh...
Indeed, what Abbakar said the other day was true when he told her that Yashjub was her crush...
She thought this to herself, but quickly chased the thought away. In her mind, she scolded herself:
"Manubiya, wake up!
This man is not your mate. Look at him—he's barely pushing thirty, yet he owns his own estates...
Your life problems alone are enough for you; don't go throwing yourself into destruction..."
BULAMA ✍️
0903 441 3252
MANUBIYA
26
Ever since the day before yesterday, Munirat hadn't come out.
Since she had finished her exams and had nothing to do or anywhere to go, she hadn't even poked her head out. She hadn't even come down to eat regular food, and even when Ummi brought some to her, she couldn't stomach anything heavy. She would just pick at snacks from Ummi's fridge or wait until late at night to come down and cook Indomie.
Very early in the morning, Yahanasu had gone out because she had clients, being an independent lawyer.
Even when she finished her business, she didn't come straight home; she went directly to her friend's place.
Ya'isha also wanted to run some errands, so she went out with Kausar to drop her off for her pending project work, while Yasmin had a surgery and had left as early as 6:00 AM.
Yusra and Yadira both had morning exams—Yadira, a 100-level student, actually had two, morning and evening...
Yassira had also left for work bright and early!
Consequently, the house was left with only Mommy, Ummi, Baaba Larai, Yassir, and Munirat.
It wasn't until around 2:00 PM that Munirat forced herself out to go help Ummi in the kitchen because it was Ummi's turn to cook, and she wanted to impress Daddy so they could mend fences and get along well again.
It was close to 4:00 PM when they finally finished.
Since Munirat was currently observing her period, Ummi told her to stay back, transfer the food into flasks, and take them to Daddy's wing, while Ummi went upstairs to pray and bathe.
Calmly, she was dishing the food into coolers while chatting with Gwaggo, the domestic help (since Husaina and Asabe, the younger maids, had gone for Islamic classes).
She felt as though someone was watching her, so she turned her head slightly...
Quickly, she averted her eyes and turned back with a slightly annoyed expression. Because she was wearing a pencil top and trousers paired with a tiny cap, and the trousers hugged her figure tightly, she hadn't expected him to be right there. She had thought he was in Yashjub's wing, and she knew Ummi would never have allowed her to sit around dressed like that.
Nothing irritated her more than the way he was fixing his large, bright eyes on her, staring intensely...
"Good afternoon, young man."
Gwaggo's voice cut through Yassir and Munirat's thoughts...
Slowly, he walked into the kitchen, saying, "Good afternoon," while his eyes roamed over Munirat, who didn't even look his way.
Noticing that she had no intention of greeting him, he greeted her directly instead: "Anty Munirat, good afternoon."
Surprised, she raised her large eyes and looked at him briefly, not expecting that he knew her name.
Then, lowering her gaze, she softly muttered, "Good afternoon."
He just smiled, turned to Gwaggo, and said, "Yesterday's room setup wasn't done right. You know I don't like white bedsheets; take them off, put up different ones, and redo the room properly."
As soon as he finished speaking, Gwaggo quickly replied, "Right away, young man."
She said this as she hurried out of the kitchen, heading upstairs to his room near Mommy's. In her heart, however, she had already resolved to give Munirat a warning about Yassir's behavior, because she wasn't going to let Yassir prey on an orphan girl. She had clearly noticed the way he was looking at her! Aside from the harassment Munirat had suffered from his siblings the other day, it looked like he wanted to add his own brand of mistreatment.
The moment Gwaggo left, Munirat also stood up to leave. Quickly, Yassir blocked her path and said, "We haven't met properly until now. My name is Yassir, the 3rd born of this family. I'm an architect and the C.E.O. of Yassir Limited."
He said this while extending his hand for a handshake, flashing a slight smile.
Without looking at his hand, she said, "Nice to meet you," and tried to walk past him.
Quickly, he stepped in front of her again and said, "Um... I actually wanted to apologize for what Ya'isha and the others did to you the other day..."
Cutting him off, she said, "Please, Ya Yassir, drop it. We girls will resolve it among ourselves."
He smiled, giving her a strange, intense look before saying straight to her face, "You don't like me, Y? But why? Don't worry, tell me, I won't get angry."
Impatiently, she retorted, "I'm tired, and I have things on my mind, yet you're standing here talking. I don't like too much talking."
Softly, he replied, "Sorry, dear! I understand, and I'm not upset."
He said this as he stepped aside, gesturing to the pathway with his hand, bowing his head slightly with a peculiar smile.
She hurried past him, glancing back over her shoulder as if someone had told her he would chase after her and grab her.
Hiding in the corridor upstairs, she waited until she saw him heading up with the juice and cake he had presumably come to fetch. Only then did she emerge, return to the kitchen, finish packing the food, and take Daddy's portion over. The rest she arranged on the big dining table, and then she finally dished her own food and ate right there in the kitchen. Hunger was gnawing at her fiercely since she hadn't eaten a heavy meal since the day before yesterday...
Gwaggo had already finished washing the dishes, so once Munirat finished eating, she washed the plate she had used.
While she was busy washing, Ya'isha and Kausar walked in chatting...
They didn't even look her way, continuing their conversation as though no one was in the kitchen. Talking and laughing, Kausar took a slice of pizza from the fridge, popped it in the microwave, grabbed cake and drinks, and headed for the mini-dining area inside the kitchen to sit down.
They ought to have checked on Munirat given what had happened between them, especially since she was a guest and they had found her right there in the kitchen... but they didn't even glance at her. To avoid drama, Munirat initially turned to leave, but then she stopped, walked over to where they were, and said:
"Um... Ya'isha, welcome back. I actually wanted us to talk since yesterday, but I didn't get the chance until now... It's about what happened. Please, let's forgive each other, understand one another, and let bygones be bygones."
Right at that moment, Kausar stood up as the microwave beeped, while Ya'isha picked up her phone and started tapping away.
"Ya'isha," Munirat called her name again, trying hard to keep her temper in check.
Without looking up or even glancing at her, Ya'isha said, "Look, I'm on the phone with my boyfriend, so please leave... because I'm sure the perfume or the bath you took the day before yesterday hasn't even worn off your body yet!! Najeeb is a very handsome and nice guy, and I love him, so I'm not ready to give him up to you..."
Ya'isha said this while continuously pressing her phone, completely ignoring Munirat as if she wasn't even talking to her.
Just then, Kausar returned with the pizza, placed it before them, and they began to eat.
Munirat was about to say something else, but she simply turned around and walked out, her heart boiling with rage.
As soon as she left, Kausar looked at Ya'isha and said, "I know I'm your cousin, but the way we grew up, I'm practically a sister to Yash and Yassir—unlike Munirat. So we need to speak to Ummi and tell her to stop letting her big-girl daughter roam around the house like a stray, because it almost looks like she's hawking her daughter."
Kausar finished in deep annoyance, praying silently that Yashjub hadn't walked in by mistake and seen Munirat looking like that.
Ya'isha smiled, taking Kausar's hand, and said, "Kausar, stop saying you're our cousin, because you are more than a sister to all of us. We love you more than you can imagine."
Squeezing her hand tighter, she added, "Let me give you an example: if someone else had broken Yassir's heart, what do you think we would have done? Outright, you said you didn't want Yassir, and on top of that, you said you loved Yashjub, yet we backed you one hundred percent without getting mad at you or questioning you. So please stop calling yourself our cousin. Accept that you are part of this family, and we love you always and forever (you are a daughter in this household just like the rest of us).
"As for that piece of work, leave her to me. I'll deal with her soon. As long as I have breath in my lungs, she'll walk out of this house on her own two feet, I swear... Earlier today, Yasira sent a message to our group about the story their mother told. Did you see it?"
Kausar sneered and said, "Yeah, I saw it! But that won't change anything. She has to leave this house because she has no birthright here."
"Her and her mother both!" Ya'isha finished with a laugh.
They both laughed before resuming their meal and chatting away.
No matter how hard Munirat tried to hold back her tears, she couldn't. As soon as she walked out, tears began to stream down her face.
It hurt deeply...
And Ummi had explicitly told her not to talk back to them, insisting she always seek peace. Walking away in tears, she made it back to Ummi's room...
Ummi wasn't there, which was actually what she wanted. She dragged out her suitcase from her section of the annex, packed all her belongings, called her sister, and told her, "I'm coming over to spend a couple of days..."
Her sister was thrilled, and after wrapping up the call, Munirat sat and waited for Ummi so she could bid her farewell and leave. But when Ummi returned, she flat-out refused to hear of it!
Munirat begged her every which way, but Ummi wouldn't let her go. Eventually, Ummi scolded her severely, and despite her heavy heart, Munirat had no choice but to give up.
As usual, after Isha prayers, it took a lot of convincing from Ummi before Munirat finally agreed to follow her downstairs for dinner.
They knew Daddy and his group had a meeting that night, so Daddy, Yassira, and Yashjub were not at dinner.
At the dining table, they found everyone else, including Yahanasu.
Ummi pulled out a chair next to Mommy, sat down with a smile on her face, and said, "Good evening, Mommy."
With a neutral expression and a faint smile, Mommy replied, "Evening, Ummi. How is home?"
"Alhamdulillah," Ummi answered. From there, Munirat greeted Mommy, Baaba Larai, and Yahanasu before pulling out a chair and sitting down...
Only after sitting down did she realize she was sitting directly opposite Yassir.
She wanted to move, but wherever she relocated to, she would end up right in the middle of Kausar and the others since they were seated separately. So, she simply resigned herself to staying put.
Respectfully, Yahanasu greeted Ummi, who warmly acknowledged her.
As Munirat reached out to dish some food, her eyes locked with Yassir's. Slowly, his lips moved in a silent "Hi."
She immediately averted her gaze and went back to dishing food alongside Ummi.
He smiled, turned to Ummi, and asked, "Ummi, how are you?"
Quickly, Ya'isha and Baaba Larai stared at him in utter shock, then turned away, bewildered.
Pleasantly surprised, Ummi smiled and said, "Alhamdulillah, I'm fine, Yassir."
Yasmeen let out a muffled, suppressed laugh—the kind where someone tries hard to choke back amusement while making sure Ummi hears it.
Ummi definitely heard it!
But she chose to ignore her, and everyone continued eating in silence.
Yassir was the first to stand up, bidding them good night while stealing glances at Munirat.
She didn't even notice, but Ya'isha and Yadira caught it.
As Yadira made to stand up, Ummi said, "Yadira, sit down for a minute, I want to talk to all of you."
Reluctantly, Yadira sat back down without looking at her, wearing a sullen, blank expression.
Kausar hadn't even eaten half her food and initially had no intention of staying, but hearing Ummi say she wanted to speak to them, she just stood up and walked upstairs.
Ummi paused, looking as though she might just tell everyone to disperse, but then she let out a breath and began:
"Ya'isha, when you go upstairs, tell Kausar and Yassira what I'm about to say..."
Step by step, Ummi recounted the whole story about the Senator and Munirat just as she had told Daddy earlier, before concluding:
"Munirat is never going to marry him. Because if I wanted her to marry him, they would have been wed the moment he returned—let alone now when he is engaged to Yahanasu."
Soothingly, Ummi pleaded, "Please, let everything go. Let bygones be bygones."
"Ummi, everything is already past. What more do you need from us?" Yusra asked, fixing her with a steady stare.
Unhappily, Ummi replied, "Yusra, what I want is kinship and peace between you all. When your daddy married me, he promised to treat Munirat like his own biological daughter and that she would be happy among you... Staying in this house will never be peaceful for her if you keep treating her like this. Just earlier, I caught her packing her bags to leave the house! You see that isn't right, please live in peace. We are all under one roof... How long is this world anyway? It's just a temporary stay. Besides, I'm sure in five years, even Yadira might not be in this house anymore... Ya'isha, when you go upstairs, explain this to Kausar and Yasira since they're not here..."
Clang!
Ya'isha slammed the juice glass in her hand onto the table so hard it cut Ummi off mid-sentence!
Thank God the glass was unbreakable; otherwise, it would have shattered from the force of her blow.
In a blind rage, she stood up, glared at Munirat—who had raised her head to look back at her—and shouted, with fury choking her voice:
"For God's sake, whatever way you packed your bags, don't unpack them! Pack them fully and get out today! I don't want to set my eyes on you here ever again."
Turning to Ummi, she snarled:
"Ummi, do you know what your problem is?
Selfishness! Selfishness is your problem...
Look at the way you're pushing us around, forcing us to love your daughter!! Forcing us to live in peace with her—is love ever by force?!
Besides, she brought all this upon herself from day one. When she first came to this house, nobody mistreated her. Despite the fact that she's not even in our social class, we still pulled her close just to maintain peace, but she didn't appreciate any of it. Instead, she came and pulled nonsense stunts!
Just because some guy was supposedly her initial suitor or husband doesn't wipe away her misbehavior, especially since he's now set to marry Yahanasu. But she didn't care about that—out of pure disrespect, she went along with him...
Although Yahanasu says she has no business with her case, the way you blindly support your daughter and forcefully try to scrub away her wrongs is my main issue with you!
"And let me tell you this: I will never be friends with her. There will never be peace between us, because I've realized you don't know respect, tolerance, or decency. You only care about yourself—you are more than selfish! So there will never be peace between me and you or your daughter, ever, I swear! People like you don't deserve peace, because if you give you guys an inch, next time you'll do something even worse.
That's why we have to put a stop to you right now and show you your place in this house. You are nobody; you are just taking up space here..."
Furious, Ummi jumped to her feet and shouted, "Ya'isha!!"
Equally loud, Ya'isha yelled back, overriding Ummi's voice:
"Don't you dare raise your voice at me! I'm speaking the truth, and I have to say it.
When we first met, we didn't know you and you didn't know us, but we've lived our lives. On what grounds are you forcing us now to look after your daughter?
And as a final warning to me: don't ever gather me and my sisters again to lecture us or feed us some useless story we already heard this morning!
And one more thing... if you want to talk to Yasira or Kausar, you know the way to their rooms. Don't ever send me on errands again, because I am not your maid..."
Having said that, she stormed off, sweeping past them furiously as if she could fly.
Following right behind her, Yusra stood up and left, followed by Yadira.
Slowly, Yasmeen stood up and said, "Mommy, good night. We have another surgery early tomorrow morning... Baaba Larai, please make me that yam porridge like the one from yesterday." She said this with a pout.
Baaba Larai smiled and replied, "In sha Allah, my dear, success to you. Good night."
"Thank you, our dear Baaba Larai," Yasmeen said with a smile before walking away without even glancing at Ummi, who stood frozen in place.
Softly, Yahanasu closed her eyes, thinking to herself: If only Bashir hadn't entered her life...
Even though he wasn't going to marry Munirat anymore, he had become the catalyst tearing apart Daddy and Ummi's marriage—a marriage she was praying would hold together forever.
Sobbing, Munirat jumped up and ran from the area in tears...
This was...
Summary
In this chapter, Manubiya (Munirat) goes to Yashjub's office to collect the replacement phone he promised, discovering it is brand new with a phone allowance included. Overwhelmed by gratitude yet terrified of her growing feelings for a man she views as both her "crush" and a potential hazard, she vows to steel her heart, suppress her admiration, and focus solely on securing a livelihood to help her struggling family. She shares the good news with her brother, Ya Musbah, who is thrilled and reassured by the legitimacy of Yashjub's company.
Meanwhile, back at the family mansion, tensions rise. While other siblings are away, Munirat is cornered by Yassir in the kitchen, who tries to apologize for his siblings' past behavior and attempts to flirt, making her deeply uncomfortable. Later, an expanded family dinner brings everyone together, where Ummi attempts a peace-making intervention. She urges the children to let bygones be bygones and accept Munirat, revealing her history. This provokes a fierce, explosive backlash from Ya'isha, who verbally attacks both Ummi and Munirat, accusing Ummi of supreme selfishness and favoritism. Ya'isha declares permanent hostility, cutting off Ummi disrespectfully and storming out, followed by the other stepsiblings. Left humiliated and frozen, Ummi's peace-making effort collapses entirely, driving a weeping Munirat to flee in distress.
Description
This chapter captures the intense emotional friction, class dynamics, and domestic friction central to contemporary Hausa family drama.
Psychological Realism: The narrative brilliantly contrasts tender, vulnerable moments (Manubiya's quiet relief over the phone, Yassir's calculated charm) with raw, venomous confrontation, painting a vivid picture of a household sitting on a powder keg.
Analytics Table
| Character Dynamics | • Manubiya: Resilient, self-aware, and desperate to protect her family.
• Yashjub: Generous, subtly romantic, and persistent.
• Yassir: Smooth-talking, boundary-pushing, and opportunistic.
• Ya'isha: Defiant, disrespectful, venomous, and fiercely self-absorbed.
• Ummi: Well-meaning but politically clumsy, caught between protecting her daughter and keeping a fractured peace. |
| Narrative Style | Contemporary emotional Hausa romance/drama featuring rich psychological introspection, vivid dialogue, shifting multi-character perspectives, and high-stakes domestic drama. |